For the second year in a row, last week I watched my favorite part of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game: the pre-game show. I’ve always been a sucker for watching all of the players get introduced and seeing them tip their hats to the cameras and the crowd. Tucked into this pre-game ceremony was People Magazine’s All-Stars Among Us, a great example of sponsorship activation in action.

The following is an inspiring video that was played just after the players were introduced. Truth be told, it brought a tear to my eye (shh…don’t tell anyone!) and gave me a deep sense of admiration. It also made me realize that the real all-stars are not the ones playing on the field…they’re the everyday people that go out of their way to make a difference in the lives of others. This video is on the long side, but it’s worth a view…

Here in the United States, Avatar was released on DVD this past week. It was one of those movies that, for me, lived up to its hype. I enjoyed both the story and the special effects. I might not be the only one that felt the virtual world in the movie seemed familiar to me. That’s because I’ve been mesmerized by the world of Roger Dean since I was a kid. If you’ve ever been to a record store and checked out albums by the progressive rock band Yes, you’ll know what I’m talking about. The combination of Roger Dean’s art and Yes’ music is amazing.

I don’t know if James Cameron officially modeled the virtual world in Avatar after the work of Roger Dean, but one look and you can see the striking similarities. In the introduction to Roger Dean’s book, Views, Donald Lehmkuhl says this about Roger Dean and his art:

” He shows us insects with nuclear power, fish swimming in air, waterfalls without a source. He fuses Stonehenge with spacecraft and gives elephants wings. He goes out of this world. Out of perceived reality. He pursues the incomparable. Where he goes, is also a reality. His work is about this reality: about the true nature of things, of forms, of appearances, of feelings, spiritual feelings which (like music) are themselves both perceptions and stirred memories of places, events, creations long ago, or- more likely – long ahead.”

In the past few weeks, I will admit that I felt pretty indifferent about watching the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. I can still remember a young, sports nerd version of me watch the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team capture the gold medal, snatching glory from the heavily-favored Soviet Union team. As young as I was, I could sense how impossible that accomplishment was. As much as it was a life-changing moment for the young men on the ice that day, it still had a profound impact on my life as I watched in my living room.

Thirty years later, I’m much less impressionable and much more cynical than I was when I witnessed “the impossible” in Lake Placid, New York. But watching the Winter Olympics last week, I witnessed two amazing feats of sportsmanship, talent and pure desire that inspired me and caused me to really take notice.

The first feat was Lindsey Vonn capturing the gold medal for downhill skiing. She came into the Olympics as one big question mark with an injured and sore shin. Somehow, she pulled it together for an amazing downhill run that had her, at times, skiing on one leg. I’ve heard plenty of people with their conspiracy theories that she was never actually injured…but I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and say that I was amazed to see her flying downhill at a blazing rate of speed. Through hard work, determination and gritty effort, she pulled it off.

The second feat was Shaun White‘s gold-medal winning performance on the half pipe. I must confess, I’ve missed just about every X Games in history, but I was looking forward to seeing what Shaun White was all about. I will say that I was absolutely blown away by his snowboarding talents and abilities. It was obvious to me, a complete snowboarding newbie, that he is miles ahead of his competition. To sample a little bit of his magic, check this video out…

One thing is certain: no matter which sport we enjoy or which country we come from there are numerous stories of sacrifice and practice from countless athletes at the Winter Olympics. The best of the best. These athletes are great reminders to us that they are in Vancouver on purpose, not by accident.

For an interesting video and some insight about how Shaun White prepared for the Olympics, check out this post from author of The Talent Code, Daniel Coyle.

Winter is a tough time of year…and the need to take a break and get away for awhile is important. I did that earlier in the week and went to, perhaps, one of my favorite places in Chicago…the Art Institute. Last year, the Modern Wing designed by award-winning architect Renzo Piano, was added to the already amazing building. I have included a few shots from recent days and earlier last summer…an exterior shot of the Modern Wing looking southeast on Monroe Street…

An interior shot in the Modern Wing…

An interior shot of the entrance area of the Modern Wing facing north. If you look closely into the distance, you can seen another Chicago gem, Millennium Park…

As you can tell, the Modern Wing offers visitors a bright place for visual stimulation. While I hope and think you’ll enjoy these pictures, they do not match the magic of visiting in person. If you happen to be in Chicago in the month of February, The Art Institute has free admission for the entire month.

First in a series of posts of places that inspire me…I will share more places from time to time.

Truth be told, I’m not familiar with John O’Donohue, but I found this video to be amazing and a great start to the new year. Upon further investigation I learned that O’Donohue was an Irish poet, philosopher and former Catholic priest who passed away exactly two years ago today…

If you enjoyed the video and are curious to learn more about O’Donohue, please visit the archives of the NPR program Speaking of Faith (Now called On Being), where you can listen to Krista Tippett’s interview with him in a show titled “The Inner Landscape of Beauty”.

Back when I was a communications student studying film and video production, I had a dream that I would produce world-class documentary films. While other students wanted to be the next Martin Scorsese, I aspired to be the next Ken Burns…only I had not heard of Ken Burns at that time. The Providence Effect is the kind of documentary I would have produced.

I am happy to report this documentary not only lived up to my expectations (based on the trailer, see previous post), but it also exceeded them. The Providence Effect is about possibility and hope not just for parents living in the inner city, but for our country’s education system.

Before I proceed, I wanted to mention that the city of Chicago is still recovering from the brutal murder of 16 year-old honors student Derrion Albert on September 24. Albert had been walking home from school when he passed by an altercation between two groups of students and was beaten to death. Shockingly, this incident was captured on video.

Which is why a school like Providence-St. Mel on Chicago’s west side is so important. It has been a beacon of hope for families in the area for over 30 years. Despite the fact that it is a private school located in a low-income area, families make a tremendous sacrifice to send their kids to PSM.

The film introduces us to Paul J. Adams, who had the vision to make PSM a top-ranked college prep school and also details the struggles to keep it funded in its early days.

I enjoyed the fact that cameras offered a glimpse into the classroom. We see an atmosphere where everyone is held accountable: students, parents, teachers and administrators. It is an atmosphere where hard work is encouraged, bad behavior is not tolerated and learning is considered “cool.”

One thing that intrigued me was the fact that, each day students recited the school mission statement:

“At Providence-St. Mel, we believe. We believe in the creation of inspired lives produced by the miracle of hard work. We are not frightened by the challenges of reality, but believe that we can change our conception of this world and our place within it. So we WORK, PLAN, BUILD AND DREAM – in that order. We believe that one must earn the right to dream. Our talent, discipline, and integrity will be our contribution to a new world, because we believe that we can take this place, this time, and this people and make a better place, a better time and a better people. With God’s help, we will either find a way or make one!”

I thought the production team of Tom Hurvis and Rollin Binzer did a great job capturing the magic that occurs at the school. In the press materials, Director Rollin Binzer says, “The atmosphere at this very special place was bristling with self-confidence, achievement and success. Never in my own education, or in raising three children, had I ever experienced classrooms that were so energized about learning. Every student was engaged, paying attention and enjoying it. Teachers were actively connecting with their students in a purposeful and caring way. Paul Adams, the founder and Jeanette DiBella, the principal displayed almost parental pride and concern for all of their students. It became very obvious to me that these kids were propelling themselves out of poverty with sheer hard work and brainpower.”

Many people go to the movies to escape reality. This film is so inspiring and motivating that it is amazing to realize that it is reality. Do yourself a favor and see or rent this movie.